Wawel Royal Castle, Kraków

Walking Through Centuries of Polish History

There are some places where you immediately get the feeling that you are somewhere important, and Wawel Royal Castle in Kraków is certainly one of them.

Sitting high above the River Vistula on Wawel Hill, the castle dominates this part of the city and has been at the heart of Polish history for centuries. It was somewhere I particularly wanted to see during my time in Kraków, and walking up towards it, you begin to understand why it means so much to Poland.

It is not simply a castle. Wawel has been a royal residence, a centre of political power, a place of ceremony and, at various points in its long history, a symbol of Poland itself.

Arriving at Wawel Hill

One of the things I enjoyed about visiting Wawel was the approach to the castle.

Kraków is already a wonderful city to explore on foot, but as you head towards Wawel Hill the castle gradually becomes more imposing. Its walls, towers and rooftops rise above the surrounding streets, while down below the River Vistula winds its way through the city.

Once you reach the top, there is quite a lot to take in.

Wawel is really a collection of historic buildings rather than the sort of single, heavily fortified castle you might initially imagine. Different generations have altered and rebuilt parts of it, leaving behind a fascinating mixture of architectural styles.

Gothic, Renaissance and later influences all sit alongside one another.

Somehow, it works.

A Castle at the Heart of Poland

The history of Wawel stretches back many centuries, although much of the castle we recognise today developed during the mediaeval and Renaissance periods.

For generations, Wawel was closely connected with Poland's kings.

Kraków served as the country's royal capital, and Wawel became one of the most important centres of political and ceremonial life. Polish monarchs lived here, important decisions were made here and the neighbouring Wawel Cathedral became the setting for royal coronations and burials.

Walking around the complex today, it is easy to forget just how much history has taken place within these walls.

This was not a castle sitting quietly on the edge of the country.

This was once the centre of it.

The Renaissance Courtyard

One of my favourite parts of Wawel was the magnificent Renaissance courtyard.

After the heavy stone walls and defensive appearance of parts of the castle exterior, the courtyard feels surprisingly elegant. Three levels of beautiful arcaded galleries surround the open space, giving it a much lighter and almost Italian appearance.

It is certainly one of those places where it is worth stopping for a few minutes rather than simply walking through.

You can imagine the courtyard filled with members of the royal court hundreds of years ago.

Ceremonies, meetings and everyday palace life would all have taken place around here, and despite the number of visitors today, there are still moments when the history of the place comes through.

Inside the Royal Castle

Going inside reveals another side of Wawel.

The castle contains a number of different exhibitions and historic rooms, including the Royal Private Apartments and State Rooms. These give a much better idea of the scale and importance of the former royal residence.

There are paintings, period furniture, decorated ceilings, weapons and other objects connected with Poland's royal and military history.

One of the things that particularly struck me was the amount of detail.

It is easy to concentrate on the grand architecture, but looking more closely at the interiors gives you a sense of the people who actually lived and worked here.

The rooms were not created as museum displays. They were once part of a functioning royal court.

Wawel Cathedral

Standing alongside the castle is Wawel Cathedral, and it really deserves time of its own.

The cathedral has played an enormous role in Polish history. For centuries it was associated with the coronation of Polish monarchs, and it became the final resting place of kings, queens and other major figures from the country's past.

Its collection of chapels, towers and tombs makes it fascinating to explore.

The distinctive golden dome of Sigismund's Chapel is particularly striking and has become one of the most recognisable sights on Wawel Hill.

There is a strong sense here that Wawel is about much more than royalty. It is closely tied to Polish national identity.

A Complicated History

Like Kraków itself, Wawel has survived some extremely difficult periods.

Following the partitions of Poland at the end of the eighteenth century, the castle lost its position as a royal residence and was eventually used by Austrian forces.

Perhaps one of the darkest chapters came during the Second World War.

After Nazi Germany invaded Poland in 1939, Kraków became the administrative centre of the German-occupied General Government. Wawel Castle was taken over as the residence of Hans Frank, the Nazi Governor-General of occupied Poland.

Knowing that while walking around Wawel gives the castle another, much darker layer of history.

A place that had represented Polish sovereignty for centuries had effectively been taken over by an occupying regime.

Thankfully, the castle survived the war and was returned to Poland.

The Wawel Dragon

Not everything about Wawel is quite so serious.

At the foot of the hill is one of Kraków's best-known legends – the Wawel Dragon.

According to the old story, a fearsome dragon once lived in a cave beneath Wawel Hill and terrorised the local population. There are different versions of how the creature was eventually defeated, but the legend has become firmly connected with Kraków.

Today, a dragon statue stands outside the cave near the river.

And it breathes fire.

It is certainly a little different from the royal apartments and cathedral above, but it is all part of the character of Wawel.

Looking Across Kraków

The position of the castle also gives some excellent views.

From Wawel Hill you can look out across the River Vistula and towards different parts of modern Kraków. It creates quite a contrast.

Behind you are buildings associated with mediaeval kings and centuries of Polish history, while in front of you is a busy modern European city.

For someone interested in photography, architecture and history, there is plenty here to keep you occupied.

Everywhere you turn there seems to be another tower, courtyard, archway or view worth photographing.

More Than Just a Castle

What I liked most about Wawel was that it did not feel like visiting just another historic castle.

There are certainly grand rooms and impressive architecture, but Wawel tells a much bigger story.

It is a story of Polish kings, royal ceremonies, religion, occupation, war, independence and national identity, all concentrated onto one hill overlooking Kraków.

You could easily visit quickly, take a few photographs of the courtyard and move on, but I think that would be missing much of what makes the place so interesting.

The more you learn about Wawel, the more impressive it becomes.

A Highlight of Kraków

Kraków is a city with an extraordinary amount of history, and there is certainly no shortage of things to see, but Wawel Royal Castle was one of the places that stood out for me.

It is impressive from a distance and even better once you start exploring it.

Walking through the gates, standing in the Renaissance courtyard and looking out across the Vistula, you are surrounded by centuries of Polish history.

Wawel has seen kings and queens, foreign occupation, war and enormous political change, yet it remains standing above Kraków.

For me, that is what makes a visit so worthwhile.

It is not simply a beautiful castle.

It is one of the places where the story of Poland comes to life.

By Daren Frankish

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